Secondary clock



J. W. BRYCE.

SECONDARY CLOCK.

APPLICATION. man MAY 17. 1920.

1,378,653. Patented May 17,1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- J. W. BRYCE.

SECONDARY CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. I920.

1,378,653. Paten ed May 17, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. W. BRYCE.

SECONDARY CLOCK. 7

APPLICATION FlLED MAY 17. 1920.

f Patented May 17, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- j UNITED STATES PATENT OFF'HE.

JAMES W. BBYQE, OI BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL TIME RECORDING COMPANY OF NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

sncommar cnocir.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented May 17, 19 21.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. BRYCE, a citizen ofthe United States of America, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Secondary Clocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In numerous patents heretofore granted to me I have shown and described a method and an apparatus for synchronizing clocks, now well known on the market as the C. T. R. or Bryce system, the more salient features of which, for purposes of this case, may be generally described as follows:

The master clock sends to the line, with which one or more secondary clocks are connected, a current for fifteen minutes, once every hour. Each secondary clock contains means which accelerate its rate, which retard its rate, or which permit it to run at its normal rate, and these means are brought into the main or line circuit at definite intervals with reference to the time as indicated by the secondary, so that if the said clock be too slow the accelerating means are rendered operative until the clock has caught up to the masterclock, or if too fast it is stopped or retarded until the master clock has caught up to it.

In this system, as in others of its kind, experiments based on practical conditions of operation and use, have led to the development and adoption of a commercial form of apparatus, which, while operating on the same principle, exhibits certain novel but specific structural features which have proved to be best adapted for accomplishing the objects of the invention, and this application is based upon an improved accelerating device for such final or finished form of clock mechanism, and it resides in the fea-. tures of construction which will be hereinafter set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate this improvement:

Figure 1 is a diagram of the system in which the clock is used.

Fig. 2 is a viewin elevation of the interior of a complete clock embodying the improvement.

Fig. 3 is a detail of a ratchet and pawl device.

Figs. 4, 5 are details of the acceleratmg devices.

per portion of the sheet atypical form of this device, in which 1 and 2 represent the mains of a circuit from any suitable source of supply. On the minute arbor 3 of the master clock is a contact 4, and cooperating with this contact is a contact 5 oscillated by the balance shaft 6 so that an electrical connection is established once every minute.

On the hour shaft 7 is a disk 8 having two short conducting segments 9 and'lO in its periphery, upon which bear a pair of insulated brushes 11. A local battery or other source of current 12 is by the means described closed momentarily at fifteen minutes intervals during each hour and thereby energizes an electro-ma et 13 which, operating through a suita le ratchet mechanism, moves a ratchet wheel 14, step by step. One of a pair of contacts bears upon the teeth of this ratchet and when on a high point a tooth closes-the main circuit, and when on a low point breaks this circuit. The parts are so related that current is thus sent to line for exactly fifteen minutes every hour.

In each secondary clock, one of which is shown diagrammatically in the lower part of the sheet, a cam disk 16 is mounted on the hour shaft, and upon its peripher bears the center member of three contacts 1 For fifteen minutes during each hour, secondary clock time, the middle contact rests upon the high part of the cam 16, and the elect omagnet 22, which controls the ratchet wheel 31, is brought into a branch of the main circuit. If the secondary clock be exactly on time, then the middle contact will drop off from the high part of the cam at exactly fifteen minutes of the hour, true time, or at the instant when the master clock begins to send its fifteen minute impulse, and hence magnet 22 will receive no current, but if the clock be slow, then the contact will reach the high part of the cam before fifteen minutes of the hour and will not drop off until after the master clock impulse has begun to flow;

consequently, the clock will be speeded up until the hands have reached the fifteen minute osition.

hen the middle contact dro s off the high part of the cam it travels or fifteen minutes on a neutral part of said cam 23.

If, therefore, the clock be fast, it will drop off the neutral part before the even hour, and falling upon the low part 24., brings the middle and lower contacts together whereby the main current will be directed through magnet 18 which controls a brake 19 working on the balance Wheel 20, and the clock therefore stops until the master clock catches up with it. After another short interval the middle contact rises onto another neutral part of the cam disk 23.

The construction of the secondary is similar to those in use except, so far as the present case is concerned, in the accelerating device shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The magnet 22 of this device operates to attract an armature 25, carried by a slab secured to a lever 26, pivoted at 27. Pivoted to this lever at 28 is a lever 29 which has a toe 30 that normally engages with a ratchet Wheel 31. The lever 26 has a bent over end 60 that engages the lever 29, and the latter has a stop 32 that engages the bent over end 60 of lever 29. Lever 26 has also av projection 33 that bears upon the shaft of the ratchet 31 and acts as a limiting stop for said lever.

When magnet 22 is energized the toe 30 is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet 31 and the clock runs down rapidly until it catches up with the master clock, as ratchet 31 is in gear with one side of the differential in the clock movement and when released has only a fan 34, Fig. 5, to oppose the running down of the train.

In other respects than those noted, the construction of the clock mechanism is, or may be, of the usual and known character. As constructed and described the mechanism constituting the improvement of this application has been found well adapted to its intended purpose, and represents the results of long conducted tests and experiments.

What I claim is 1. In a secondary clock of the kind herein described, the combination with the train of an accelerating-device, comprising an electromagnet, a pivoted armature lever therefor, a ratchet wheel, the shaft of which constitutes a fixed stop for a projection on said armature lever, a spring actuated pawl lever pivoted to the armature lever and limited in its vibratory movement by a fixed stop thereon and normally engaging with the ratchet, a means, such as a fan wheel in gear with the clock train andunder the control of the ratchet, these parts being so constructed and arranged that upon a movement of the armature lever under the magnetizing influence of the magnet, the pawl lever is moved out of engagement with the ratchet, but upon the cessation of magnetism and return of the said armature lever is moved back into engagement with the said ratchet.

2. In an accelerating device for secondary clocks, the combination with an electromagnet, a pivoted armature lever, a lever pivoted thereto, a ratchet wheel, means for permitting the train to run at an accelerated rate controlled thereby, and means carried by .the pivoted lever for engaging with the ratchet, and a projection on the armature lever for engagement with a fixed part for limiting the play of said lever.

3. In an accelerating device for secondary clocks, the combination of an electromagnet, a pivoted armature lever, a spring actuated lever pivoted thereto, a ratchet Wheel, a fan wheel in gear with the clock train and controlled by the ratchet, means on the pivoted lever for normally engaging with the ratchet wheel, and means on the armature lever for limiting its range of movement, the latter composed of a projection normally in contact with the shaft of the ratchet.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

JAMES W. BRYCE. 

